The Avenged
by justanotherbookaholic
Summary: [Ongoing] An Avenger's fanfiction. After the Avenger's movie. A tribute story to Iron Girl /books/358985-Iron-Girl-an-Iron-Man-fanfiction] by Iris Ramsey on , so her OC, Isabella Stark, is going to be a featuring character. All rights reserved for her, the Marvel company, and to me for my own OCs. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

You could just tell they were from the government.

I don't know if it was the suits – black as their shiny shoes – or hair that was jelled just so. Maybe it was because their faces were void of expression. Maybe they have to pay you extra to be compassionate. And maybe that's why I didn't feel bad for doing what I did.

I answered the doorbell that day; Mom was out and I was watching Disney Channel with my little sister, Sky. They took one look at me and examined the rest of the living room, obviously looking for an adult. I closed the door slightly.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"We're with the government, miss," they said, bored, flashing badges. "We need to see your mother. We work with your father."

"May I see those badges again?" I said, equally bored. I got a good look at the badges, actually. I just needed a second to contemplate whether or not I should let them know that Mom was out and we were alone in the house.

Squinting at the badges, I questioned, "So, Agents Peterson and Robbins, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Miss," Agent Robbins intoned. "We have critical information for the _adult,_ of the house. I'm sure you understand." He smiled vaguely and gestured for me to open the door. After a moment I swung it wide. "C'mon in, boys."

I motioned to the couches where Sky was sitting, face rapt, listening to the wails of the most recent singer/actress Disney had to offer. They moved to sit on the widest sofa, while I took the loveseat with Sky.

There was a moment's awkward silence, punctuated by the cries of the TV, until Agent Peterson – or Robbins? They looked almost exactly alike and Rachel didn't really care who to know who was who – asked the obvious, "Where is your mother?"

"Mom?" I echoed breezily. "Oh, she's out on an errand, she'll be back soon enough." I was content to sit in the relatively awkward silence from then on and assess the situation.

I had an idea of why those men were there. My Dad, who divorced my Mom when I was about five, worked in the government, but Sky and me were never allowed to know anything more. We kinda assumed that he worked with some kind of top secret information and if we knew it would jeopardize his job, etc., etc. I'd figured that these government guys were here to tell us that Dad had been stationed in Quebec or something. Why else would your Dad's employers come to visit unannounced?

Fifteen minutes passed by when we heard the garage opening and Mom's car rolling in. The agents stood up as my mom stepped through the door, stopping when she saw them. One of them – Peterson, I think – walked over to her to shake her hands which were full of groceries. I moved forward to take them from her and dragged Sky with me on my way to the kitchen to eavesdrop.

Sky protested, gaze still after her show, but I sat her on the counter and started making her a PB and honey sandwich. She quieted and actually started paying attention to what was going on for the first time.

"What's up Ray? Who were those guys?" she asked, quizzical.

"Dad's work buddies," I explained, still straining for words in the other room. They were talking about Dad, how everything was just _so_ confidential….

"Wail and Whirl?" Sky wondered, already hopping off the counter.

"Let's wait on it, kid," I stopped her by the scruff of her shirt just as she almost pushed back through the living room. I wanted a bit more information before we messed with any kind of government agents. I could only barely make out their words…

"…while handling the situation in New York," an agent was droning.

"You mean all that damage in the last week?" came my mother's voice sharply. "He was involved in that? He's okay, though, right?" A heavy silence followed this.

_No…_

"I'm sorry ma'am…"

_No! Don't say those disgusting…_

"We're all sorry for your loss…"

I acted before he could say another word. Hissing in Sky's ears, I screeched, "Wail and Whirl, Wail and Whirl _now! _Exit back door, through the neighborhood. I need time." Without further prompting she sped out through to the living room and started bawling.

"Mommy!" she cried, flinging herself into Mom's arms. Tears were streaming down her face that weren't there a few moments ago.

"Mommy he was so s-scary! Make him go away mommy, I don't l-like him!" she hiccupped.

"What's wrong baby? Who scared you?" Mom asked, startled by this new development. The two agents looked alert at this, too.

_ Work your magic, Sky._

"H-he was out by the window," she whimpered, pointing toward the back door. "He wanted me to come out and t-talk to him….he _really _wanted me to come out….He had one of _those_ things." She pointed to the guns shining out from behind the agents' jackets, burying her face in Mom's shirt afterward and wailing ever louder.

As soon as Sky had pointed to their guns, the agents bolted from the sofa toward the back door, guns drawn. "Where'd you see him go, sweetie?" One cracked the door open and cautiously peered around it.

"Through M-m-molly's yard," she hiccupped.

"The neighbors straight across," Mom translated after an agent sent her a puzzled look. They took off.

I walked in slowly. "What happened, Mom?"

She all but shoved Sky into my arms. "Here, watch after her, okay? I'm just going to…" She jogged to catch up to the agents.

As soon as we heard the back door click, Sky's wails abruptly cut off. A slow, wicked smile stretched across her face. "Oh, they _so_ bought that. You have at least ten minutes."

"The next Dakota Fanning over here, everyone," I muttered. Sky curtsied and sunk into the loveseat again.

But I was already toggling the lock on a briefcase one of the agents left behind. It only cost me a few seconds though, and soon I was flipping through manila folder tabs, all stamped _SHIELD Classified, Level 8, _looking for…

Ah. Here we go.

Coulson.


	2. Chapter 2

"So what'd they want?"

Mom glanced up from her macaroni, but didn't stop eating. I waited patiently for her to finish chewing. "Agents Robbins and Peterson worked with your Dad and had some information to pass along. You're food's getting cold, hon," she added, barely glancing up at me all the way.

"And so is Dad's body."

Mom's fork fell with a clatter. Sky slowly looked up from the food with the same hard expression I did. We were waiting.

"Rachel!" she yelled, livid. "I know you might not care about sensitivity or tact, but think about Sky for God's sake!" But seeing that Sky was not fazed by this information, she slowly got to her feet, face red.

"Rooms. Now." She moved to the sink, snatching our plates along the way.

"First you don't tell Sky Dad's dead and now you're starving her," I said quietly and Mom stopped dead. "I know you might not care about sensitivity, but think of Sky. For God's sake."

Mom stood frozen by the sink, plates in hand and back turned, for a while. I was getting antsy, we were all grieving and this not the time for Mom to go to pieces.

"So what lie did they tell you? Falling rubble? Freak boating accident? Mugging? Because I know they didn't tell you the truth." She turned around at that when she met my eyes I didn't move my gaze. A challenge.

"Sky. Bed." Sky immediately looked to me and I nodded. It didn't bother me; I knew she'd be listening at the door within seconds of it closing.

With Sky gone, Mom slumped a bit, setting the plates by the sink as gently as if they were a sleeping baby. That got me.

I stood up and walked over to wrap my arms around my mom. Together, we let loose a few tears and gripped each other like we were drowning. I knew Mom had never gotten over Dad, despite the divorce.

"Mom, it's okay," I murmured, rubbing her back. I wanted to mourn with her, but I remembered the file and knew I wasn't exaggerating; this _really_ wasn't the time to fall to pieces.

Luckily, Mom got it together before I had to ask her. She stepped away from me and rubbed her eyes. "What did you find?" she asked wearily. I paused and she rolled her eyes.

"I know that Sky's 'scary man' was just so you could snoop. What did you find out? They said it was a technological malfunction…" she trailed and watched me with almost fearful eyes.

I hung my head a bit, knowing that Sky would hear this too, across the door. I tried to keep the report and its pictures away at the time…

"The file was classified," I started, staring at my hands. I didn't want to do this to Mom either. "It said he was at some kind of headquarters right before the aliens came. He was fighting them, Mom." My voice was in awe at this point because…well, what would you think if you found out your dad was fighting aliens?

"The lead alien, someone named Loki, killed him personally as he was escaping a prison. He died trying to keep him from leaving."

I don't how Mom was taking this – I really tried to skip all the gruesome stuff; the report was really _too_ detailed – because at that moment I couldn't see quite right. I hastily wiped my eyes, there was so much to do, I couldn't spend it crying.

I did however, hear her whisper quietly, "Oh, Phil…you damn fool…"

I paused to look at my Mom's tear-tracked face. Her hands were shaking. I set my face.

"Sky…come out here…" I called. The door creaked open and a tear-sodden Sky stumbled inside. I pulled her into a hug and Mom joined us. For a moment, a tiny one, we were just a family, crying, grieving, and broken.


	3. Chapter 3

It was exactly three weeks before I could talk myself into doing it.

Mom had taken only four days off work to deal with all the preparations. They had a ceremony in Washington D.C. and Dad was given full honors for dying during duty. It was still ridiculously busy we - decided to hold a smaller service at home plus all the insurance and neighbors came knocking on doors.

I had taken it upon myself to be her personal assistant – waving people off when I could felt her wearing down and doing most of the paperwork. I spent a lot more time with Sky too. She was most of the reason I didn't want to leave. She was having nightmares again.

When Sky was just a baby and Mom and Dad divorced, we moved out here to Hanville, Nebraska, Sky was the worst sleeper. No matter what Mom did, she could never get her to stop crying right before bedtime. I was about five, but I was the only one who could help her fall asleep. I'd just sit her in my lap, comb her honey blonde hair, and tell her stories. She'd be out like a lite and it really helped out Mom, in the beginning.

But now, Sky kept having nightmares about aliens coming and taking away Mom and me. I slept most nights in her room because she could somehow tell if I left and the nightmares came back.

One night she was all swaddled in her blankets so only her head was visible. "Ray?" she squeaked, her usual smooth voice gone.

"What's up kid?" I answered, raising from straightening her room to sit at my customary chair.

"Why did they kill Daddy?" I sighed and my shoulders drooped a bit. I was waiting for this question, knew she'd ask eventually.

"I don't know, Sky. I don't know. But guess what?" I asked, poking her nose to make her giggle.

"What?"

"They're not going to get away." I held a pinkie out, offering it to her. "Kid, I'm calling a pinkie swear on this one." A grave look crossed her face. We both knew how serious this was. She wiggled an arm out of her cocoon and hooked her pinkie around mine.

"I, Rachel Coulson, do solemnly pinkie swear that the person who killed our Dad will get exactly what they deserve. No matter what."

"No matter what?" She held.

"Bet on it, kid" I said with a smile.

About a week after that Sky didn't need me anymore to sleep. Though Mom had been back at work for a while, she was finally relaxing again and getting past the worst of the grief, as Sky had. So it wasn't that bad. I could get by without me, for a while. That's what I told myself.

Three weeks and I had my pack filled with the necessities and the entirety of my savings account, along with two new additions that added substantial weight. Or so it felt.

I put on my most non-descript clothes and left my notes for Mom and Sky where I knew they'd find them. I was out of the door before I could take a second look, but I couldn't help double check the locks on my way out.

It was a little before dawn when I made it to the station. I booked a one-way ticket on a greyhound to New York City. I settled onto one of the rows of benches and waited for my bus. About a minute before I nodded off, some plopped down on the seat next to me.

I started, sat up straight, and clutched my bag to myself.

"Oh, calm down," said a girl's voice. "I just a place to sit."

I rubbed my eyes and saw to my left a girl, not too much older than me with long auburn hair and jarring hazel eyes – rings of gold and green and brown. Her skin was a delicate bronze, like bottled sunlight. Her lips were full and curved into a smile.

After looking around for a second, I said, "There are plenty of seats. Over there." I gestured to the rows of benches behind me.

"Oh," she said in surprise – false surprise, I thought. She gauged the seats as if wondering if moving was worth the effort. "Nah," she shook her head and settled in, snuggling into her coat and adjusting her backpack before closing her eyes.

I took a second to look at her. She didn't seem explicitly dangerous, but that didn't really mean anything. What I was doing…simply being around people could be risky. Well, it's not that big of a deal. It's not like we were going to be on the same bus or be traveling to the same place.

After about an hour, just as I was on the brink of a wonderful daydream, the girl squealed and jolted me awake. Jumping off the bench, she flung herself into the arms of a guy who looked quite peeved off.

He looked her age – in fact, they could be twins; they had the same eyes, skin, and hair, but his waves were sheared off at his ears.

"You found my note! I didn't think you'd make it," the girl exclaimed.

"I don't think 'found' is the right word," he said through a glare as he held her at arm's length. I was really trying not to eavesdrop, but there was simply nothing else to look at, nothing to hum that would drown out their conversation.

"Hey, don't be like that," she pouted. "I know how you like your treasure hunts, Aiden. How else was I going to make sure you'd come?"

"I don't know, Vae!" Aiden cried in mock puzzlement. "How about asking nicely?"

Vae eyed him critically before shaking her head. "Nah," she said dismissively. "That never would've worked."

I caught her eye and she got excited again. "Hey, Aiden! This is my new friend…" she looked to me expectantly.

"I'm not your friend," I said, irritated.

"Well that's just a ridiculous name," she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, this is Aiden. He's my older brother and also kind of a kill joy, at times." At this Aiden rolled his eyes and glared at the departure board.

"I'm Vae," she said, pointing to herself. "And we will be your one stop destination for fun on the way to NEEEEEW YOOOOOORK CITYYYYYYYY!" she ended in a flourish, like an announcer on the Price is Right.

"How do you know I'm going there?" I said with scorn. Inside, though, I was reeling. How did she know?

"Because it's the only destination on the board," Aiden said in bored tone while pointing at the screen.

Oh.

"So," Vae said as she collapsed lazily and swung an arm around the back of my seat. "Fun right?"

Aiden moodily moved toward the other end of the bench and I silently agreed with his attitude as most appropriate. Fun, indeed.


End file.
